On March 12, a 3-year-old girl in Texas shot and killed her 4-year-old sister with a “unsecured” weapon.
According to Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez, the two toddlers were playing unsupervised in a Houston apartment while five adults gathered with family and friends.
“At some point, it appears that one parent mistakenly believed the other parent was watching the other children when, in fact, the two toddlers were left essentially unsupervised inside the bedroom,” the sheriff said.
The children discovered a loaded semi-automatic pistol in the bedroom.
“A single gunshot was heard by family members. “They ran into the room and discovered the small toddler, four years old, unresponsive on the floor,” Sheriff Gonzalez said.
Gonzalez said the adults were able to quickly secure the weapon and call 911 after the gunshot, but the injured child was pronounced dead at the scene.
Neither child has yet been identified.
No charges have been filed against the adults in the house, though Sheriff Gonzalez stated that charges were “very likely” in this case.
“Our hearts are shattered. “Our deputies are in a state of shock,” Gonzalez said. “When a child dies in this manner, the community suffers.”
Gonzales emphasized that this type of incident is avoidable if parents practice proper gun safety.
“You have to make sure you’re being a responsible gun owner and storing your weapons safely,” the sheriff said. “It has to be more than simply telling young children not to touch the weapons. We need to do a little more, you know. We witness far too many tragic situations like this.”
